


Two Rings and a Bracelet

by LittleSixx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Break Up, Cheating, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, POV Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:42:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26788414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSixx/pseuds/LittleSixx
Summary: Draco Malfoy is having an affair with Hermione Granger. Then his wife finds out.
Relationships: (IMPLIED), Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 75





	Two Rings and a Bracelet

**Author's Note:**

> Super short story. DFW challenge was to take one line from a web generator and use it as the first(ish) line of a fic. I wanted to keep it under a thousand words.

_“Nox!”_

He snuffed out the light and there it was. _The end._ But even in his darkest moments, Draco never thought it would end like this. He never believed it would last. Even on his wedding night he knew it would end. Draco was never meant to make a life with Astoria, but they both wanted so desperately for it to work that they ignored all the warning signs it wouldn’t.

Draco walked into their bedroom at ten past nine that evening to see Astoria sitting on the end of their bed. Her legs were crossed, her jaw tense as he stepped toward her.

“I don’t think so.”

He paused; Draco knew that look. Astoria was a bright witch after all, he could only keep something this monumental hidden for so long. Astoria pulled a slim gold bracelet from her pocket and held it aloft. Draco’s heart fell into his stomach. They had always been so careful, to be undone by that goddamn bracelet ... Astoria looked to Draco, then back at the bracelet to wonder,

“Whose is it?”

“Where did you find it?”

“The floor of the closet in one of my shoes.” She placed it on the duvet and turned her gaze back to Draco. “Is it Granger’s?”

Draco swallowed thickly and nodded.

“How long?”

“Astoria—”

_“How long?!_ ” she snapped.

“Four months.” Draco sighed and glanced down to the floor. “It began four months ago.”

Astoria glared down at the bracelet and admitted, “It doesn’t suit her, you know.”

“Weasley bought it for her.”

“Ah. That family has never been known for their taste.”

Draco hummed his agreement.

“Did you ever do it here?” she asked. “In our bed?”

“No!” Draco insisted. “It was at her house, mostly. We thought it would be a passing thing, but it never passed.”

“Do you love her?”

“Does it matter?”

“No.” Astoria paused. She sighed heavily and asked, “Do you love me?”

Without hesitation, Draco admitted, “No.”

“I’m not sorry for that.” Astoria stood up and shouted, “You lied to me! Why? Was it because you couldn’t admit it to my face?”

“I lied because I never wanted you to find out.” Draco took a step backward. “I always thought it would end with her. You and me, I never wanted it to end.”

“Why? Because you loved me, or because everyone else knew it would?”

“I wanted to stay with you because you are the sort of person I was meant to marry.”

“A wealthy Pureblood who’s not entirely unfortunate-looking?”

Draco countered, “A beautiful woman with more strength than I could ever hope to have. Malfoy men have a tradition of marrying up.”

A smile ghosted across Astoria’s face, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

“Why her?”

“Why Hermione?” asked Draco. “Because she is powerful and she has seen the very worst, cowardly things I am capable of. Everything I do with her is because she lets me. She looks at me and sees what I could have been, and appreciates who I am instead.”

“And I don’t?”

“No, you don’t.”

Astoria shrugged.

“Perhaps you’re right. I should be upset, but I am so bloody relieved it was you and not me.”

“I am used to being blamed for things, so I do not see why this would be any different.”

“Our marriage was never what we wanted it to be.” Astoria worked her engagement ring and wedding band off her finger and placed it on the bed next to the bracelet. “I am so fucking happy to be done with this.”

“Then why not end it earlier, if you have been so unhappy?” asked Draco. He, too, wanted to be angry but when he looked inward he only found relief. “If our life together was so miserable.”

“It was never miserable, it was fine. And that was the problem,” Astoria replied, “it was never more than fine! Except the sex, I suppose. The sex was great, but come to find out for the past four months you’ve been shagging Hermione Granger more than you’ve probably shagged me.”

“I won’t apologize for falling in love with her.”

“Then marry her, then!” Astoria shouted back. “At least I’ll be free of you.”

Draco scoffed, “As though my life with you has been anything more than fine?”

“You had my vows, Draco Malfoy, but you never truly had my heart.”

“Good thing I never wanted it, then.”

Astoria bumped his shoulder on her way out the door. The manor would be lighter without her presence weighing it down, anyhow. But it also meant he was unencumbered while Hermione was still attached to her best friend, bound by the rings on their fourth fingers. Draco could not speak for Weasley, but Hermione’s heart did not belong to him. If she would let him, Draco would hold Hermione’s heart in his hands for as long as they both shall live. He would be careful with it, gentle in a way he never was with Astoria.

He was not a perfect man, not a good one, really, by any standard. But he could be. Draco wanted to be a better person, and he wanted Hermione Granger at his side. He did not know how to do it, but ridding himself of this cursed marriage was a damn good start. 

_Nox!_


End file.
